90 Tim Book of the Horse. 



The excursionists brought by rail on the occasion of great races are a modern nuisance, and little 

 provision is made for their accommodation or amusement. To spend a day at Newmarket with 

 any profit you require a good hack, and a mentor, also mounted, familiar with all the celebrities 

 of the racing world — the backers of horses and layers of odds of all ranks and both sexes. 



THE BLOOD-HORSE AS A USEFUL SIRE. 



Fortunately for the many, in every part of the civilised world, who are interested in the 

 reproduction of "sound and useful horses" not required for winning races and wagers, it is possible 

 to select out of the many hundreds bred for turf purposes every year a considerable number of sires 

 and mares which combine with the fullest height desirable in any riding-horse, strength equal to 

 great weight, symmetry, and beauty, with all the "quality," courage, and refined qualities of their 

 diminutive Oriental ancestors. 



The late Earl of Glasgow bequeathed his stud to General Peel and the late Mr. George Payne, 

 on condition that the sires should never be sold. These sires were remarkable for their strength, and 

 perhaps for this reason never achieved a Derby, an Oaks, or a St. Leger. As long as the Earl 

 of Glasgow lived, he never sold, but in preference shot any produce he did not consider first-rate, 

 and the services of his sires were obtained with difficulty, and only for thoroughbred mares. On 

 obtaining the Glasgow stud, General Peel removed them to a farm at Enfield, and conmienccd 

 a new system, which, if more widely adopted, would exercise a very advantageous influence 

 on the horse-breeding of this country. The stallions were annually offered to be let by auction 

 for the season, three or four being reserved for the use of the mares of the Glasgow stud. Fifteen 

 were let in this manner, in 1872-3, and dispersed all over England and Ireland, the whole number 

 being twenty-one, those that remained at Enfield being offered to the public at fees proportionate 

 to their value. The fifteen averaged a rent of ^125 each. They were taken away on the 1st of 

 January, and returned at the end of the breeding season. " These stallions which, while Lord 

 Glasgow lived, never covered a half-bred mare (except by special favour or accident), now cover 

 about a thousand half-bred mares. Fifteen or twenty of these stallions are strong enough to carry 

 me" (General Peel), and are stronger and better (for breeding hunters and riding-horses) than 

 for racing purposes. Amongst this stud of sires was " the Drake, who measured ten inches 

 below the knee." This evidence, witli that of other witnesses not less competent, shows how 

 easily and how surely the nation might get the benefit of many useful, sound, thoroughbred 

 stallions out of the " Calendar " list of 360, which are, because they are strong and useful, too slow 

 for racing purposes, if our Agricultural Societies introduced the system of hiring thorough- 

 bred stallions, and ceased to give prizes to sires only accessible at fees beyond the reach of 

 those who breed for the road and the hunting-field. On the death of Mr. George Payne the 

 Enfield stud was broken up, and the horses disposed of on condition that they should be 

 destroyed when no longer in breeding condition. 



THE THOROUGHBRED OUT OF TRAINING. 



The thoroughbred horse does not attain the perfection of his strength and beauty until 

 he is at least si.x or seven years old. Under the modern system of racing both horses and 

 mares are withdrawn from the turf at five years old, if not at four. If of superior reputation, 

 a stallion becomes one of the aristocracy of the stud ; if inferior, he may descend from the 

 Stud Book Register to be a sire of hunters, or, lower still, to travel the country and cover 

 mares of any breed at trifling fees. 



